And the Winner Is......

Congrats to Heather! Thanks to all who entered. Please stay tuned for more Joy Treasure Free Art Fridays! 

Free Art Friday Begins Tonight!

Free Art Friday begins Tonight Thursday  July 28^th  starting  at 7pm and

Run  until  Friday  July 29^th  at  4pm.

You must be a follower of Joy Treasure to win this painting.  See the sidebars on how to join the JT Blog.

(((To EnTER:(((

Simply Leave your name in the comment Box Under this post and your name will be drawn by My son on Friday afternoon (July 28^th( Winner will be posted Friday evening at 9pm July 28^th.

Free Art Friday this FRIDAY!!!!

Stay Tuned to Joy Treasure to see when Free Art Friday begins.

           YAY!!!!!!  

Manna Monday- On Tuesday!

Hey friends!

Joy Treasure will be posting Manna Monday on Tuesday! Stay tuned and come back tomorrow. It will be a great topic of discussion. See you then!

Free Art Friday this FRIDAY!!!!

Will post winner around 9pm.

Free Art Friday this FRIDAY!!!!

It's back! Free Art Friday is back! Must be a follower of Joy Treasure to be eligible for the painting. Check out the blog on how to join by reading the sidebars. Also can follow under Facebook by clicking on "Follow on Facebook" blue box at the left hand sidebar.

To enter Free Art Friday, leave your name in the comment box and follow its promptings. Winner will be chosen by my son picking out names!!!! He is honest I promise! And a good helper I might add!

 Free Art Friday begins today Thursday July 21st at 4pm and runs to Friday July 22nd at 4pm. Winner will be announced Friday evening of July 22nd.

The painting:  The words: Christ Follower- 8X10 in size Mixed Media.

Manna Monday- Running To Nowhere

So, I'm back! Thanks to ALL who have continued to look for me here at Joy Treasure.

I have been on a much needed break, had some computer trouble (laptop had to go to the doctor!) enjoyed vacation and time with my family. But there's nothing like being back here with you here on the JT blog. It is a true joy of my life to share Christ in everyday life with you all!

 

 I have been dying to write this post!!! Hope you enjoy!

Every Sunday morning, with praise music playing in the background, I ride through an ideal suburban neighborhood with a long smooth sidewalk- perfect for exercising. You can bet your bottom dollar you will always find walkers, runners, or pet owners walking their dogs on the sidewalk near the street. They look so intense and committed to their morning walk or run. And as I journey through on my way to church, I think, " How ironic! They are running to nowhere."

Running for nothing.

Running for a body that will break down.

Running for things that pass away.

The are convinced excercising on Sunday morning is "the life." A good sunday morning jog instead of church will give them a better day. The priority they place on excercise over knowing Jesus will give them more years to live with their family, go on more vacations, or take less medicine. But their quality of life is inwardly dead. No matter how much they excercise it will never give them true life, new life, or life for eternity. So their running, although exercise is good for the body, is leading them to eternal death. Their priority to place this earthly life above seeking Christ will never satisfy their inner longing to know true love and true purpose.

 As I cruise through the neighborhood, I begin to pray for them to know Jesus. I pray they would come to see that exercising or enjoying a lazy Sunday morning isn't what will give them a better life. I pray they would see their need for Jesus and that Jesus would draw them close to Him.

Who is it you know that's running to nowhere? Is it a family member who is looking for the next person to date to make them "complete"? Is it a friend who is chasing after a bigger, better job? Is it a neighbor who is working toward having a nicer, bigger home? Is it a teen who is searching for the next party or the next drug to make them feel better? Who is it? Who do you know that is running to nowhere?

The bible says, "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away."

                                                                                                                          Matthew 24:35

This life will pass away but God's Word will remain forever. God will remain forever. And we will live with Him in Heaven.

Take a moment to write down the name of a person who is running to nowhere. Pray for them. Commit to continue to pray for them. When you see them, pray for them silently as you see them. Don't give up praying for those around you who don't know Jesus. Keep on Praying- no matter how long it takes to get an answer. Just don't give up!

(I believe exercise is very important. Please do not mistake my belief on exercise!)

Tell me About........

Joy Treasure exists to encourage believers to treasure God's word, draw near to Him, and seek to apply God's truth to daily living. Life change can happen because we know Christ.

One of the things I enjoy hearing are stories about how God shows Himself to be "Provider" to my friends and fellow church members. God provides so many things to us every day and many of them, we all can take for granted.

To enter the Free Art Friday posts, please share with me a story about how God has shown you He is your provider. How has HE shown you that HE will take care of you, how He has all the details worked out and how He is faithful to show you He was with you and did not forget you.

The story will be posted on the blog on Monday evening when I announce the winner. I am going to pick the person whose story best expresses God's provision, faithfulness, and taking care of the tiniest details.
Start comments by Friday 6am, July 30th til Saturday 6am July 31st. After that, commenting is over. I will publish all comments after I read them first.

Free Art Friday Question

Today is a Free Art Friday question.

                      I want to hear from you the readers! 

I am going to pick the best story from the followers who send in an answer to Joy Treasure. When I choose it, I will post it to the blog when I announce the winner Monday evening. I am greatly inspired by fellow believers as they walk with the LORD and I believe the more we can share about real life and a living for a REAL God, how much better we all will be! Be sure to post before 6am (central time )on Saturday (July 31)morning. After that, time is up.

Be looking for the Friday topic (Again, to become a follower, use google, twitter or yahoo account.)

Joy 2 U!

Free Art Friday

Friday is Free Art Friday to celebrate the milestone of 50 followers joining Joy Treasure since  May 2010. When you see the question mark Friday morning, Free Art Friday has begun. The end of Free Art Friday will take place Saturday morning by 6am. All answers must be sent in through comments to me by then. The winner will be posted Monday evening.

Quote #5 From Oswald Chambers

Today's quote is what Oswald Chambers calls,"One of God's Great Don'ts."

I love it and I hope you will too!

The scripture from Psalm 37:8 he writes about says,"Fret not thyself, it tendeth only to evil doing."

This excerpt comes from the July 4th issue from "My Utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers published by Barbour and Company.

Oswald says,

"Fussing always ends in sin...Fretting springs from a determination to get our own way. Our Lord never worried and He was never anxious, because He was not "out" to realize His own ideas; He was "out to realize God's ideas. Deliberately tell God that you will not fret about that thing. All our fret and worry is caused by calculating without God."

What a lot to think about today as we sometimes find ourselves fussing or fretting over things in life. I pray if you find yourself worrying or grumbling remember that you are taking God out of the calculation. Our greatest example of how to live a life that pleases God is Jesus. If Jesus never worried or was never anxious, then why do we?

Manna Mondays- Verse 9 and 10

Good Manna Monday Morning!

Wow! I can't believe I've been blogging consistently for almost three months now. Thank you God! Thanks to all who have been following Joy Treasure as well. What a JOY it has been to share with you wonderful treasures from God's word. It is only HIS word that brings joy to our hearts. The more we know God, the more we can enjoy Him.

For this week's Manna Monday I combined verses 9-10 this week to make it easier to memorize.
To refresh your memory, here is the entire text we have been memorizing:

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.

3 You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4 Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

5 You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will lay hold of me.

The cross reference for Psalm 139:10 is Psalm 23:2 which says,"He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters." As the good shepherd leads his sheep toward green pastures where they can rest, eat and be safe, so does God lead us, the people of his pasture. The word that jumped off the page to me was the word "lead." The cross reference for the word "lead" in Psalm 23:2 is Revelation 7:17 which says,"for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

WOW! One day God promises we will live with Him forever and never thirst again, never be weary or worn out again. How intimate that God not only knows the number of our tears here on earth but He promises to wipe every one away from our eyes.

When I think about the people who have wiped the tears from my face, they have been people in my life who have intimately known me like my parents, grandparents, husband. How personal God's word describes Him to us, that He will wipe EVERY tear from our eyes one day.

Praise God for leading and guiding us each and every day!
Thank Him for the promise of heaven one day.
What a joy that will be!

Treasure the Moment

Having a husband who hunts whitetail deer, every April there is clover planted in my backyard in hopes that deer will come and eat it? I guess? Who knows. But it sounds good. I am guessing it is the mentality of, "if you plant it, they will come?" I know I did hear him say that deer liked it! Just letting you all know I have not checked my facts about deer and clover.

So, there we were, late in the afternoon, the sun was going down, the clover was a crimson red, my son wanted to be outside so I took a picture (or two!)

Priceless!

This week, I came across a mini photo shoot I had taken of my son over a year ago. I began to tear up looking at how small he was then. Time passes so quickly. He is getting so big! The joy of being with him has been so special to my heart and I am so thankful for all our moments together. As he grows older, he will not be hanging out with mama and this picture will just be a reminder of our times long ago. It's so easy to get busy and miss the special moments. But busyness cannot bring me joy or make a special moment. Only setting things aside to seize the moment can make a lasting memory.

I want to encourage you to get outside with your family or friends, and enjoy the day. Make time for it, because once it's over, it's over. You can't get it back.

Each day we have comes from God.

Enjoy the minute. Treasure the moment.

Oh, and by the way..........Happy Friday!

The Joy Treasure Book Club- A Book about Obedience

I have been reading a small book in size packed with BIG truths about obedience.

It's called "A Life of Obedience: Learning to Trust His Time, His Place, His Will" by Andrew Murray. It has 105 pages and is published by Bethany House. Murray was born in 1828 in South Africa. I love reading books authored by people long ago. I find it fascinating to see how closely I can still relate to their timeless message about God's holy word. I am encouraged by how they apply God's truth to the christian walk. It is a fabulous read and it's a book that doesn't just leave you satisfied, but spiritually challenged.

Here is a treasure I gleaned from page 19:

"John uses strong statements:"He who says,'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1John 2:4). Obedience is the hallmark of Christian character. He says, "And whatever we ask we receive from Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight"(3:22). Obedience is the secret of a good conscience and of the confidence that God hears us. The obedience that keeps His commandments becomes the outward expression of our love for God. We may ask ourselves,"Does obedience take that place in my heart and life?" Have we given obedience the place of authority that God intends it to have: the motivation of our every action and our boldness to approach Him? If we yield ourselves to the searching of God's Spirit, we may find that we have not given implicit obedience the importance it deserves in our life, and that this is the cause of our failure in prayer and in our work. The deeper blessings of God's grace and the full enjoyment of God's love and nearness have been beyond our reach simply because obedience was never given the importance God gives it-the starting point and the goal of our Christian life."

Good stuff!

I love the end of the paragraph,"the starting point and the goal of our Christian life." Obedience is how the believer comes to Christ. It becomes the primary pursuit when walking with God. Obeying God pleases Him and if we never give it a thought, do we really love God like we say we do? When was the last time you asked yourself, "God am I obeying you? What do you want me to do?

Is obedience to God your goal in life, or is it just an afterthought?

I want to hear from you what you think about obedience.

Think about the word  inadequate.

This is the word that's been coming to mind lately as I seek to do new things in life and new things for God. I find myself thinking, "I feel so inadequate to do this....I'm out of my comfort zone." But that's not a bad thing. It's quite good. As I walk more closely with Jesus, I find it is EXACTLY what JESUS wants me to be. He is more than adequate for my inadequacies.

Ten years ago, I would have taken on a challenge and not have thought another thing about it. I would have prayed, "God, help me, and then go about my business and trust in my own abilities (not even realizing what I was doing.) Today, when I take on new challenges I quickly think," LORD, please help me, I can't do this without you. I need you. You've got to make a way for me."

Am I weak? The world would say so. Am I lacking confidence? No. My confidence is no longer in myself or my abilities anymore, but in the LORD's power to work through me as I yield to HIM day by day.

Being a wife and mother has opened myself up to the feelings of inadequacy (probably the most!)There are so many new things to learn as a wife and a mother. There are days I feel like I can't do the job. I do good and then I fail. But, when I turn back to God and give him my burdens, I find the feelings of inadequacy turn into a quiet confidence- a confidence in God's power and strength instead of my own limited abilities. He gives me the confidence to move forward and face the challenge of the day. Some days it's all I can do to say, "here LORD....here's another!"

When I feel inadequate Romans 11:36 helps me remember that God is working through my lack of experience. It says,"For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever." Every ability I have comes from God and any new ability I have need of will come from God, through God working in my life going back to Him to give Him the glory.

Paul said it best about being inadequate(having no confidence in the flesh). He knew what it was to trust in his own abilities, his own accomplishments. He had trusted in them before he knew Christ. As a servant for Christ, he said, "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--though I myself have reasons for such confidence. If anyone else thinks he has reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:" (Philippians 3:2-3)

Feeling inadequate today? That's great! It is a good place to be!
God has room to come in and work through you! Listen to Him and watch Him work through your inadequacies.

Quote #4 from Oswald Chambers

I love sharing these wonderful thought provoking quotes from Oswald Chambers every Tuesday. I pray they are challenging you to think about how to apply them to your own life. Today's quote comes from the January 30th page of "My Utmost for His Highest" Journal published by Barbour and Company, Inc.

Oswald says,
"Get into the habit of saying, "Speak, Lord," and life will become a romance. Every time circumstances press, say, "Speak, Lord"; make time to listen."

How many times do I come to the LORD telling Him what I think and believe to be the best outcome in my life? Sometimes listening to Him can become an afterthought in my prayer life. Listening to Him should not be an afterthought, it should be my first thought, my first word. Forgive me LORD for the times I have come speaking instead of asking you to speak to me! Listening to God is a habit that is practiced and learned. It does not come easily but it is possible to get into the practice of it. What a great example Oswald shares about using two simple words to get us practicing the habit of listening to the LORD. As you go about your day say, "Speak Lord." Whenever you feel like you want to tell God what you think, say "Speak Lord" and remember to listen.

I want to hear from you about what you think about this quote. Tell me if this is something you can apply to your life.

Joy 2 U!

Manna Monday

John MacArthur said "One other one in Psalm 139, I think it's verse 8, a very
similar statement is made. It says this, "If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there.
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there." In other words, wherever you
go, into heaven or into the grave, you are in the presence of the Lord which
means you still exist in His presence. Hosea chapter 6 says the same thing.
Isaiah 26 says the same thing. Perhaps one other one to read to you specifically
is at the end of Daniel's prophecy, chapter 12 and verse 2. "Many of those who
sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, and the
others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." There will be the resurrection of
everyone, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting contempt, some to heaven
and some to hell. It is commonly believed among the Jews throughout their
history and certainly at the time of Jesus that there will be life after death,
there will be life in the presence of God or out of the presence of God and
there will be a resurrection body, a resurrection unto life or unto contempt and
disgrace. That is the background of the text before us."

1 O LORD, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
You understand my thought from afar.

3You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are intimately acquainted with all my ways.

4Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, O LORD, You know it all.

5You have enclosed me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.

6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot attain to it.

7Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.

The Joy of Serving the LORD

I had an opportunity to serve the LORD with some ladies from my church this past weekend. What a delight it was to serve with them! Our job was to throw a block party for a neighborhood. As you can see, this is the vacant lot we had to work with- rocks and clay. But we made it work and it turned out to be exactly what we needed for kids to come in eat some pizza and ice cream. At first, when we got everything set up, we kind of wondered if anyone would show up...but they did. Why do we wonder when we serve God about who will come? I too even wondered if anyone would come.. oh, me of little faith. Turns out, the majority of the kids in the neighborhood came and it was a great success.

One of the main activities we had for kids was to put stickers around a framed verse of John 3:16. Imagine if they never heard this verse before? Thank you God that we can proclaim your message of salvation! May the seeds planted yesterday take root and grow into beautiful salvation. This precious little boy loved stickers and decided he would not only place some of the stickers on his frame, but also on himself. Oh, how precious!

Stickers everywhere! Yay God!

A little face painting too!

Here is a picture of the kids I got a chance to talk to about the LORD. I fell in love with them and was amazed at the opportunity God gave me to talk to them about their every day life. I found out a few of them had some family members far away from the LORD and got a chance to pray with them about these family members. Thank you God for open doors.

Opportunities to serve God are all around us. We don't have to go to another neighborhood to do it. We can make an impact where we are. Let's not miss opportunities that stare us in the face each and every day.

Ephesians 6:7 says,"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, ..." which says it all about serving. It's God we serve. It's because of what Jesus has done on the cross for us that we go and tell. Isn't that worth telling!

With tommorrow being Sunday, I want to encourage you all to rest and enjoy God tomorrow afternoon after church.

Simplify.

Instead of adding things to your calendar, remove them. Take a nap. Get off facebook, spend time with your family without the television on. Find time to be still and quiet before the LORD and listen....listen...listen to Him speak as you read His word. Say thank you tomorrow to God and to your family. Pray for people you talked with at church. Pray for people you know who are lost. Pray for your family. Pray.

Simplify and enjoy God today.

Congratulations to Lesley! She won the first Joy Treasure painting on June 25th.Thank you to everyone who participated and is a part of following Joy Treasure.  Please tell your family and friends about the blog. My heart's desire is that every time you read the blog, you will leave encouraged to continue seeking knowing and enjoying God in every day. Happy Friday!